Top Five Chicago Bears of All-Time

When one thinks of the National Football League and the tradition that it has within the United States, one team that has consistently remained in the forefront of it all is the Chicago Bears. The Bears have been in existence for nearly a century dating back to 1919 as the Decatur Staleys, and since that time the team has made their mark in more ways than one in the sport of football today. The Bears have a record 27 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, along with a memorably Super Bowl win in 1985 over the New England Patriots. With that said, here are the some of the top players in franchise history.

Walter Payton

Walter Payton was not only one of the greatest players in Chicago Bears history, but in the National Football League as a whole as well. Payton was special athlete and will forever be remembered as one of the top running backs to have ever put on a uniform. He was originally drafted by the Bears fourth overall in the 1975 NFL Draft and after a good start in his first season Walter took off from there, gaining at least 1,000 yards on the ground in 10 out of his 13 seasons in the NFL for a total of 16,726 yards overall. Payton was selected to nine Pro Bowls, six First Team All-Pros, three Second Team All-Pros, and had his #34 retired by the Bears.

Mike Ditka

While most of us think of Ditka as football commentator or the head coach of the 1985 Bears team that won the Super Bowl, he was also a fantastic player in his own right for Chicago as a tight end. He was originally drafted fifth in the 1961 NFL Draft, and made waves in only his first season with the team, receiving for over 1,000 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. He really pioneered the position of tight end into what it is today, and was selected to five Pro Bowls over the course of his career.

Mike Singletary

When one thinks of linebackers on the Chicago Bears, the first name that comes to mind is Mike Singletary. Singletary was the centerpiece on what would become one of the greatest, if not the greatest, defensive team of all time in 1985. It wasn’t just that year either but the entire decade, with Singletary leading the way. Mike was first selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft and played with the Bears from 1981-1992, racking up nearly 1,500 tackles over the course of his career. Singletary was elected into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1998.

Gale Sayers

Last but not least there is Gale Sayers, who isn’t as well-known as Walter Payton but put up some great numbers over his career as a running back. He only played in seven seasons for his career from 1965 to 1971 but all of them were with the Bears. He went on to make four Pro Bowls during the 1960s, along with being the NFL rushing champion in 1966 and 1969. Sayers was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and his jersey #40 was retired by the team in 1994.